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Fraser Greenberg and I spoke at length about his Toronto upbringing, how he stumbled into family business and transformed it to thrive an ever-changing market as well as his latest endeavour, the coffee shop Milky’s in Toronto’s West End. What struck me about Fraser is the consistency with which he bring passion, purpose and an amazing sense of craft to everything he touches. A fascinating guest with great ideas, check out Fraser’s interview to learn more about him.

About the podcast: The intent behind our podcast series "Truth Is Golden" is to look at renowned creatives and their work with a critical eye. We aim to ask deep questions in order to peel back the layers of marketing, clever one-liners and sexy branding. We want to show the world what it truly takes for genuinely creative forces to find their own voice build a career on what is very often nothing more than a drive to do things differently. We want to hear about the successes, the failures, the inspirational stories and the lessons gleaned from all of it. We want the truth, so that we can inspire other people to fulfill their own creative aspirations and in the process contribute to making the world a better place.

In episode our first episode of season 2, John Dewolf, Vice President at Form : Media walks us through his youth in the Canadian Maritimes, his early career as a graphic designer before he realized, while working on a software to help people save for retirement and later on the redesign of the US census forms, the power of design to positively influence people’s lives. We also talked creativity, his design process and how his career is bridging the gap across many design disciplines to create places that people can relate to. Listen in to hear more about John and his captivating career.

About the podcast: The intent behind our podcast series "Truth Is Golden" is to look at renowned creatives and their work with a critical eye. We aim to ask deep questions in order to peel back the layers of marketing, clever one-liners and sexy branding. We want to show the world what it truly takes for genuinely creative forces to find their own voice build a career on what is very often nothing more than a drive to do things differently. We want to hear about the successes, the failures, the inspirational stories and the lessons gleaned from all of it. We want the truth, so that we can inspire other people to fulfill their own creative aspirations and in the process contribute to making the world a better place.

Cities such as Hamilton are rapidly growing and being designed to accommodate the sheer influx of people moving to the downtown and surrounding areas. This is a reversal of the strategy of the 1950's when the United States and Canada preferred to build cities around highways to promote easier travel and automobile use. Thus, today the surrounding areas of Toronto (Hamilton, ON in this case) are becoming more architecturally sound, interesting and diversifying the neighborhoods. The Hambly House by DPAI and Toms + McNally featured on the cover of Canadian Architect this month is a prime example of bridging the gap between old and new. Further reading HERE!

révélateur recently completed the photoshoot of Bay street corporate offices for Altius architecture. It was an interesting challenge as this was the first time we shot corporate interiors. We brought on board 3 models as the client wanted the project to look a bit more lived-in and showcase people. Managing the talent and the logistics of the shoot at the same proved to be a bit of a challenge, but the results speaks for themselves and we are hoping to get more of these corporate shoots in the future.

Interestingly, this is our first ever commissioned project and turned out to be a client favourite from day one. This reno of a 70's modern house turned a very dated dwelling into a sleek, contemporary, state of the art dwelling that reflects the personality of its owner, a 30-something successful entrepreneur from Toronto.

Earlier this summer révélateur shot the brand new Buckingham Arena in Downsview Park, Toronto. This was an interesting challenge for us as we had never shot this type of facility before.

WGD Architects designed a four-rink arena for local leagues and events. Based on our scouting shoot, our studio was commissioned to take 10 images of the project. We had our eyes open for the money shots and luckily, the cool, somewhat industrial and utilitarian aesthetic of the building lent itself well to getting great shots.

Main Lobby

We set out to shoot at the end of the day as we knew this was when the arena was going to be the busiest, giving us plenty of opportunities to introduce the human element in our images. Without people, such a large building would end up looking very empty and cavernous.

Lucky for us, there were hockey games going on during our shoot so we seized the opportunity to include some motion to the rink photographs by shooting additional frames a slow speeds so we would get the proverbial motion blur that makes architectural shots much more dynamic and is particularly fitting to shooting a hockey arena.

Main Entrance

We learned a lot from this shoot as we were given minimal instructions from the client and had the opportunity to explore some more creative angles, some of which ended up being picked by the architect.

Earlier this summer, Revelateur was commissioned to shoot DTAH's little trinity project. This is constitutes a good example of adaptive reuse in the city of toronto. This was a fun shoot as it was all about showcasing the interplay between the old and the new.

"The Little Trinity Church community, founded in 1844 near the corner of King Street East and Parliament Streets in Toronto, developed a building expansion study to investigate the renovation and redevelopment of the three buildings on their site to maximize community worship, social services, and recreational uses in response to the future West Don Lands development immediately south of their property.

Back of building from garden.

DTAH redeveloped the derelict 19th century townhouses at 399 King Street into the Little Trinity Annex, a new administrative centre and multi-purpose hall for the church community. Renovations in the school house building included the basement multi-purpose hall and ground floor child care spaces to maximize Sunday School capacity and functionality."

Multi-purpose hall.

Although a small project, it was a fun shoot as adaptive reuse presents challenges that are not necessarily evident when shooting other kinds of projects.

Styling is the art of making a space look like it’s lived in, often in a subtle and discrete fashion. Ideally it is something that not consciously noticeable because it looks natural. This effortless look requires a lot of planning and production work, but the results are often far beyond what a professional photographer alone can offer.

Kitchen

Révélateur studio always strives to improve the quality of its offerings and client satisfaction. This is why we are pleased to announce a partnership with professional stylist Laurie Clark. Starting immediately we are offering styled photography packages. By offering these packages, we take the headache out of shooting professionally styled quality photography, while delivering incredible value as these images will make you look fresh and professional.

Main entrance and lounge

Laurie Clark of GH Styleworks is a master stylist with a background in art direction and graphic design. She has an eye for the killer accent that is going to bring a photograph together. Our own architectural and photography background complements Laurie’s skill set perfectly and we can together deliver images of exceptional quality.

Dressing room

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, the images included in here a few example of images that came out of a shoot we did with Laurie (Project: Taylorwood, Build: Rose Barroso | Barroso Homes, Design: Urbanscape | Ali Malek-Zadeh). Feel free to contact us for further information on these packages.

This beautiful home was designed by Makow Associates of Toronto, completed in 2014.

Do not let the traditional exterior fool you, it is a very contemporary house inside, filled with luxurious materials and the latest in home automation technology.

Upper level foyer

We had the opportunity to work with the Toronto-based stylist Carmen Maier who styled most of the interior shots shown here. Carmen is a dedicated stylist with an eye for details and her expertise was instrumental in bringing out the soul of the house in the photography.

Entrance / foyer

The centerpiece of the house, the foyer is a beautiful double-height space lit from above that ties the whole house together and contributes to not making it feel so large as it has a direct connection to all the living spaces on the first and second floors.

Master bedroom

It is flanked by an open staircase that makes the transition from first to second floor and enjoyable experience as the views are constantly changing as one goes up the stairs.

Kitchen

The result is a very large home that does not feel overwhelming but rather homely and inviting, in part due to the abundance of natural light and lightly colored materials.

Master Bath

We certainly enjoyed shooting this house and are hoping to do more of these in the future.

This is post 10 of 10, in a series detailing important aspects to hiring an architectural photographer while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

10. DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Some shoots will require specific equipment and skills to be done properly. Do not skimp out on the expense if it gives you the images you need. Equipment rental and consultants are sometimes necessary to get the job done well. You photographer will be able to make appropriate recommendations.

This is post 9 of a series of 10, in a series detailing important aspects to hiring an architectural photographer while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

9. CHOOSE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Professionalism prevents a lot of headaches. It is often said that the first impression says a lot about a person. Make sure your photographer cares about your needs in more than just words. Their attitude, attentiveness and professionalism should show in everything they do. Make your life easier by choosing someone you can rely on.

This is post 7 of a series of 10, in a series detailing important aspects to hiring an architectural photographer while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

7. GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE.

Mutually beneficial relationships are best for all parties involved and crediting your photographer whenever you use their images is more than a mere contractual requirement, it is an ethical thing to do. They should also credit you, the client, on their online and offline marketing material. Do not hesitate to ask them to do so should they not offer it from the get-go (it can also be a contractual agreement).

Revelateur recently had the pleasure to shoot a post-war bungalow renovation in the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto.

Main entrance, front of the house.

Designed by Brad Netkin of Stamp Architecture, the house is an very clever take on the bungalow typology. The original house was gutted and a second story was added, so that the main floor was turned into a spacious living-room / kitchen space opening onto the backyard and the front of the house was turned into a cosy dining room.

Entrance, Dining room, looking towards back of the house.

The main design feature of this house is a rather intangible one: natural light. Indeed, large windows and skylights are common currency in every area of the house, making the entire dwelling a very pleasant, airy one that makes one feel at ease instantly.

Living room, looking towards entrance.

Add to the the mix the architect's idionsyncratic furniture and art collection and you get a home that is humble in its materials and finishes yet very generous with large spaces that give away a subdued feeling of luxury. This is not a house of ostentatious character, but rather a symphony of natural light.

Staircase with skylight

There is a constant connection to the outdoors in almost every space of this bungalow. That alone makes it worth experiencing in person.

This is post 6 of a series of 10, in a series detailing important aspects to hiring an architectural photographer while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

6. MINIMIZE YOUR COSTS.

A good photographer will understand your needs and help you come up with a solution that fits your budget. There are many ways to keep costs reasonable and this should be discussed with your photographer, for example:

1. Shop locally if you can. By avoiding travel expenses, you save money and promote the local economy.

2. Bundle shoots together. If you can combine several projects to be shot at the same time, your photographer should be able to give you a better deal.

3. Use fewer and better views. Carefully consider the shots you need in order to save money. If unsure, your photographer will have a good idea of what shots will best tell the story of your project. Ask them to make recommendations.

4. Keep the bottom line in mind. How much money are you likely to make with these images? How many projects can they help you win?

This is post 4 of a series of 10, in a series detailing important aspects to hiring an architectural photographer while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

COLLABORATE

Photographing buildings and interiors is not an exact science and it requires collaboration between the photographer and client, in order to achieve the client’s vision. Photographers have a particular way to look at spaces, usually different from the clients'. It is a good idea to use this difference in viewpoints as a sounding board for coming up with ideas that neither you, the client, nor the photographer might have thought of on their own. The pre-production meeting and the scouting shoot are great places to brainstorm and kick-start this process. If you are going to be present on the day of the shoot, use this to you advantage by discussing each view with your photographer and formulating your specific needs in the clearest way possible. Your photographer should be able to show you each shot prior to capturing the image to serve as the basis for discussion.

In addition to the kitchen and dining room we shot the living room and the master bedroom. The understated elegance of the project, clearly influenced by designholmen's Swedish roots made the shoot a pleasure as there were many angles from which to capture the design, all of them looking really good.

Master Bedroom

We hope you enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed shooting the space.

We recently shot a small industrial building in Little Portugal. It used to be a small factory that was transformed into a live-work space by Downey Design's Kevin Downey.

Main space, part office, part living room.

The project is interesting in the way only the outer shell of the building was preserved in order to keep the original form, yet, allow for dramatic open spaces on the inside.

Main space from the top of the stairs.

The building is home to Arts and Labour design studio. This live-work space is stunning through its simplicity and brightness, as there isn't a time of the days when the space is not filled with natural light.

Kitchen, looking towards main space.

Natural light is a key component of the design and every space ends up being very bright and pleasant to experience. Sometimes it is all that's needed to make an otherwise plain space exceptionally cheerful. Add to the mix an exceptional art and design furniture collection and you get a unique space reflecting the personality of its owner.

Light-filled Staircase, from top floor.

We would like to thank Arts and Labour for letting us shoot the space and publish it.